A dad from Cleveland, North Yorkshire, is lacing up his running shoes and taking on the Great North Run in support of The Sick Children’s Trust.
James Mills will take part in the iconic half marathon, with family members Sarah and Jonny and close friend Beccy to raise funds for the charity that has been supporting him during his son’s cancer treatment.
Hudson, who is two next month, was diagnosed with Hepatoblastoma, a rare liver cancer, in May 2024 which was discovered during a routine vaccination appointment while the family were living in Dubai. The family were already planning on moving back to the UK, but brought their return forward so that Hudson could begin chemotherapy.
Hudson underwent treatment at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), receiving chemotherapy two nights a week for three months. After completing three rounds of chemotherapy, Hudson then had liver resection surgery – a procedure removing part of his liver and a tumour – staying in hospital for 12 days before recently starting his next round of chemo.
During Hudson’s first few days in hospital James and his partner, Fiona, desperately tried to find nearby hotels so that they could stay close to where their son was being treated. They were then informed about The Sick Children’s Trust and its ‘Home from Home’, Crawford House, with the charity providing the couple with a place to stay completely free of charge. Located just a short walk from the RVI, Crawford House has kept them close to Hudson’s side. To thank the charity for its support James will be taking on the Great North Run on Sunday 8 September to raise vital funds. James said:
“Hudson’s diagnosis came as a huge shock to us as he had not been unwell or symptomatic at all. Everything in life changed for us overnight and we have been trying to support Hudson as best we can.
“Crawford House has been a huge support to us. Having to travel 90 minutes from home every day during Hudson’s treatment would have been impossible. Being able to stay close by at the ‘Home from Home’ has given us huge peace of mind and made such a difference to us.
“Hudson will continue to have chemotherapy for at least three more cycles and as parents of a child with cancer, we feel utterly helpless in so many ways. Raising this money to support The Sick Children’s Trust allows us to feel that we are making something positive out of a truly horrendous situation.
“I’m excited about the Great North Run, but also a little nervous. We are so lucky to be running as part of team, and to have friends and family who want to do this in Hudson’s name. We work to motivate each other with training and without doubt will be helping each other round the course on the day.”
More information about James’s fundraising can be found on his JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/mills-mcculloch-serino-gnr-2024
